Nyyrikki had managed to keep himself busy with classes over the last few days, surprisingly. When he usually would have cast a textbook aside, he found himself studying meticulously, keeping his mind occupied with FEARhealing techniques and music sheets for music class. While it might look like he was actually concerned about not passing to his second year like the rest of his friends – it was so close on the horizon, but he was definitely behind – the truth was, he just didn’t want to think about anything.

When he thought, he thought about Danny. And when he thought about Danny, he thought about Lilura. And when he thought about Lilura, he felt like the biggest jacking a** on the planet. He’d decided what he needed to do not long after movie night, but when he actually went to do it? Well, it made his chest hurt. Not because he didn’t want to do it, or because he thought it wasn’t the right thing to do, but because didn’t want to hurt Lil. He still cared about her as much as a friend could.

However, Rikki was out of homework today, and his drum held none of their usual, mind-numbing appeal. With a heavy sigh he flopped backwards onto the long, black couch that made up part of his make-shift living room. Really, all of the furniture just closed off an area around the hanging ScreeVee in his room to create a small area where he could hang out with his friends and play games. Or play games by himself. He didn’t seem to invite people up to his room very often. It was those times alone, sprawled on this very couch, that he couldn’t help but think.

Now he thought about the last time he’d seen Danny. In her room, his dark fingers pressed softly against her cheek, igniting a warm glow in her cheeks that he hadn’t known her capable of making. He couldn’t ignore that he was beginning to feel something for Danny, and it was causing turmoil in him. Because if he liked Danny, he couldn’t pretend that he was entirely happy with Lil. It was that realization that had set him on autopilot, avoiding the conclusions he had to make, and the plans he needed to set in action.

But, he needed to do it.

He had to break up with Lil.

He tried texting her first, acutely aware that he wouldn’t be able to do it in person. Each text made it to about four words long before he deleted what he’d written in frustration. How did you tell someone that there was someone else without breaking their heart and their confidence?

He tried squee-mail next, sitting at his desk tapping his fingers against the hard wood surface. He didn’t even make it to four words there. Ruska had poofed up and looked at him like he was crazy when his fist slammed against the desk. “Why can’t I just jacking do it?” He’d never had this kind of problem breaking up with ghouls back home. Maybe it was because he hadn’t actually cared about the ghouls back home; they were street ghouls that made his parents grit his teeth, and thus had tactical advantage in the war he’d declared on them. Jack, he was a douche.

He rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands, propping his elbows up on the desk. For a moment he considered asking Roch for help, but realized that Roch would probably be worse at break ups than he was. Not only that, but Roch seemed to like Lilura, and he didn’t want to drag his friend into a situation where he might try to talk Rikki out of what he was doing. No, he needed to do this on his own, by his own hand.

Hand. That was it!

He flailed around his room looking for a piece of paper and a pen. The only pieces left were parchment that he’d been planning to send his parents a letter with, but that was almost as difficult as this break up. The first four pens were either out of ink, or broken, but he finally managed to find a working one and set to work.

Quote:
Hey Lil,


Hey Lil? What was he doing, becoming her pen pal? He scratched out the sentence and started anew with a much simpler intro.

Quote:
Lil,

It’s been a few days since I’ve seen you, and I’m sorry. I’ve been busy thinking preoccupied, and I haven’t had much time to come hang out.

How are your minis? Nevermind, I’m going to get right to the point. I’m a jacking idiot I’ve let this go on for too long, and I hope there’s no bad feelings, but I don’t think we can be together anymore. I don’t want to ruin our friendship, but I think my feelings have changed.

I’m so sorry, Lil. Come see me play at music club sometime, okay? I don’t what anything to be weird between us.

See you around?
Rikki


It wasn’t eloquent, and he wasn’t particularly happy with it, but it would have to do. He stuck it in the crack of her door on his way to his next class, took a deep breath, and tried not to think about it anymore. He had other puzzles to solve.